The Sustainable Backyard Tour is a grassroots, self-guided, free tour of backyards throughout St. Louis showcasing a range of green living practices, including low-impact lawn care, composting and using recycled materials creatively, organic gardening, chicken and beekeeping, gardening with native plants, mushrooms, fruit & nut trees, as well as rainwater conservation, pesticide and herbicide reduction, renewable energy production and backyard habitat creation.

Find this event on Facebook.

If you are interested in being a backyard host site this year, please tell Home Eco about your yard by clicking here to find the online application.

This is not a commitment, but an expression of interest on your part at this time. You will be contacted soon by an area organizer.

Home Eco is seeking to construct “nodes” or clusters of yards within geographic areas so that no one is isolated this year. We anticipate somewhere between 5 and 10 nodes, with at least 3 backyard sites each. If you know of someone else whose yard would be a good example of sustainability, please forward this email to them or send us their contact info and we’ll reach out to them.

If you have any questions, please contact Terry by stopping by Home Eco (4611 Macklind, 63109), calling (314)-351-2020, or emailing (info@home-eco.com).

At Verde Kids being green means:

• organic baby and children’s clothes
• toys made of renewable materials
• tree-free, 100% recycled greeting cards
• locally-made laundry soap
• handmade, unique jewelry
• a safe, interactive play area for your kiddos

Check out their amazing selection  in person at 27 South Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves, MO 63119.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Find out more information about Verde Kids by visiting their website at VerdeKids.com.

What is The Upcycle Exchange?

Autumn Wiggins, crafty mastermind, operates the brick and mortar store, The Upcycle Exchange {Materials Market}. Located at 3206 South Grand in the heart of south St. Louis this creativity incubator is a haven for crafters of all ages offering post-consumer art and craft supplies at pay-as-you-wish pricing. Upcycle was originally a members’ only program run as a hobby but the interest in Upcycle grew and the program evolved into a full-time job and retail operation for Wiggins. The program has been in operation for about three years now and the shop will soon celebrate its first anniversary.

One of the things that make The Upcycle Exchange different from a typical craft retail store is the pricing structure — it’s pay-as-you-wish pricing meaning that the customer decides the value of the items they want to purchase. There are suggested prices listed based on the average values assigned, but ultimately the customer decides the final price. Another facet of the operation that sets The Upcycle Exchange a part from the crowd is the variety of goods available.

Crafty Donations

Do you have an assortment of craft supplies that you no longer need or want?  An artists wish-list is available by clicking the “Upcycle Exchange Tab” above and at the official Upcycle Exchange website that gives people ideas of what sorts of items are in demand. Many drop-offs include the standard crafty fare, but there are often unusual items that are real treasures for an artist. Wiggins says, “We get so much cool stuff. The wish list really forces people to go through items before they bring them, so it’s not as crazy as you would think to sort out. I just LOVE when big ‘ol stacks of vintage fabric come in, we get some really beautiful, interesting prints.”

Donate Supplies at GWI for 10% Off at Select Booths

The Upcycle Exchange will be accepting supply donations at GWI 2012!  Shoppers are encouraged to bring in supplies to GWI in exchange for a 10% discount coupon that select GWI vendors will be accepting the day of the show. How awesome is that? To see which vendors are participating, select the “2012 Vendor Tab” above and look for the Upcycle Logo.  You will be rewarded for helping local artists create in an eco-conscious way! Participating vendors will have an Upcycle Exchange Logo on their booth.

Creative and Fun Hands On Project at GWI

Not only will Upcycle be accepting donations at GWI, but Wiggens will also be providing a super fun crafty make-and-take project.  Stop by the Upcycle booth to enjoy this hands on crafty experience and learn how to make a simple and fun pin cushion ring!

Future Plans for The Upcycle Exchange

Wiggins recently moved to a larger location and has plans for expansion including carrying a handful of regular retail items that are in high demand but infrequently dropped off. However, the primary expansion plans include raising funds to purchase equipment like a laser cutter, 3D printer, and a wide format fabric printer. With a passion for technology, Wiggins plans to empower crafters by teaching them, “the software and hands-on knowledge needed for digital fabrication, working with micro-controllers, and integrating new technology into their finished products.” Currently, she is teaching web development workshops, but will also soon be adding some low-tech basic sewing and crafts skills classes to the schedule too. Check out The Upcycle Exchange website for the current wish list, classes, and special events.

The GWI organizers and vendors would like to thank The Upcycle Exchange for their support of our event!  THANK YOU!!!!!!

Store Hours:
Monday – Friday
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday
10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday
12:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Who or what inspires you?

I find inspiration in antique malls, thrift shops, design blogs, and music. Being a part of one of the most supportive and amazing creative communities here in St. Louis is a source of endless inspiration and without these artists and designers doing what they love I wouldn’t be able to have this incredible selection of handmade wares for sale at The Foundrie.

What is your background in?

I have my B.S. in Fashion Merchandising from Fontbonne University and experience doing visuals/displays for stores such as Z. Gallerie, Arhaus Furniture, and Macy’s.

What inspired you to open The Foundrie?

The Foundrie began as a way for me to merge all of the things I love into one creative outlet. The concept was to curate a pop-up holiday boutique within a local shopping mall to showcase my own work as well as the work of other local artists and independent designers. I wanted to create a store with a unique aesthetic, selling one-of-a-kind items to customers who may not get out to boutique shopping destinations on a regular basis.

How long has The Foundrie been open?

The Foundrie opened for the holiday season at Chesterfield Mall in 2009 and opened full time in April of 2011.

How many vendors consign there?

Currently we accept 40 artists per quarter but in our new space the number will probably be closer to 60.

What are your best sellers?

Our customers love to represent St. Louis. Our “Midwest is Best” tees by Megan Lee and our STL posters by EAK Designs are super popular in the shop.

What’s your favorite item in the store?

I can’t get enough of the screen printed tops, tunics, and dresses by Ad Love. Everytime a new shipment arrives there is at least one design that I grab in my size right away.

What makes The Foundrie different from other local shops?

While we do carry work by local artists, we are open to artists and designers outside of St. Louis and we also sell a selection of vintage clothing, accessories, and housewares. We accept new artists on a consignment basis each quarter which is a bit unique. Most importantly, having The Foundrie located in a shopping mall with a good amount of foot traffic allows us to get our products into the hands of more people than the average boutique.

What are your immediate plans for the future with the shop?

We have some very exciting news! The Foundrie will be re-locating to a bigger and better space within Chesterfield Mall so we can accept more consignors and grow our business and brand. Also I am thrilled to announce that Elizabeth Hahn-Lawrence of Just Liv will be joining The Foundrie on a full-time basis as co-owner, marketing/operations mananger. I am so excited to have Elizabeth on board and can’t wait to see what the future holds for The Foundrie.

Visit the Foundrie:

219 Chesterfield Mall
Chesterfield, Missouri 6301

Hours:

Monday & Tuesday – Closed
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday  - 11:00am to 7:00pm
Sunday – 12:00pm to 6:00pm

Home Eco is a unique and fantastic place to shop.  If you are searching for a green alternative for cleaning supplies, in need of a gift that makes an environmentally conscious impact, or wanting to do a bit of home decorating with an eco-friendly focus, Home Eco is THE place to go!!!

Home Eco’s philosophy is that we are all connected to each other and our planet.  The choices we make count.  Since 2005, Home Eco has striven to be St. Louis’ primary point of access to a burgeoning world of alternative, planet-preferred goods and services.  Taking a general store approach, Home Eco offers a wide range of eco-friendly options for the home and garden, from laundry powder to natural flooring.  Home Eco wants to make it easy for you to live a greener, healthier, more sustainable life.

Home Eco is located at 4611 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63109-2926.  You can also learn more about Home Eco by visiting their website. We hope you stop by and say hello.  Also, don’t forget you can find event postcards for GWI that are also gift basket raffle entries at the store!!!!

Do you like lovely handmade things?  Who doesn’t?  Now, how would you like to win a basket filled with handmade goods from our awesome Green with Indie (GWI) vendors?

All you need to do to be entered to win such a basket is get your hands on a GWI event postcard and bring it to GWI on Saturday March 10. Here is what to look for:

Be on the look out for these little gems because not only do they provide you with details about this fantastic event, but they are also a raffle ticket for the handmade gift baskets to be awarded at GWI!!  Over fifty of our gracious GWI vendors have volunteered to donate a handmade item to the gift baskets, so you know that the baskets will be AMAZING!  To see who is donating items to the gift baskets, click on the “2012 Vendor Tab” above.  Vendors with a rotating star beside their name are participating!!  Woohoo.

Now, we are sure you are asking yourself “Where can I find GWI postcards?”  Our GWI Vendors will be handing out and posting event postcards all about the St. Louis area.  You can also find GWI postcards at many of our sponsors’ local shops, so be sure to stop by and tell them we sent you!   (Postcards are currently available at The Upcycle Exchange, The Foundrie, Home Eco, and Verde Kids.  Please see the right side of this page for a complete list of our GWI Sponsors.)Please note only one raffle entry per guest and guests are not required to be present at the time of the drawing to win.